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As Evertonians began to file out of Goodison on Saturday, there was an overwhelming sense they had seen it all before.

For the third successive season, the Blues started the Premier League campaign with a 2-2 draw against a newly-promoted club.

For the 21st time in the last 27 opening matches, Everton failed to get off to a winning start.

And for the second time in three seasons, Ross Barkley posted an early calling card with a thunderous goal.

The midfielder ushered in the Roberto Martinez era with a stupendous strike in the Catalan’s first game in charge at Norwich City two years ago.

It proved the spark for a memorable campaign that saw Barkley emerge as a first-team regular at Everton, force his way into the senior England set-up and go on to feature for his country in the World Cup in Brazil.

Last season, though, began in nightmare fashion for Barkley, sustaining a serious knee injury on the eve of the opening weekend that kept him out of action until mid-October and left him searching for form and full fitness throughout the campaign.

Still only 21, Barkley is nevertheless acutely aware this is a defining season for him.

Not least in terms of nailing down a regular position in the Everton team.

Ross Barkley's position is still a matter of debate

Speaking earlier this year, the player declared his favoured position was playing behind the striker in the fabled number 10 role.

Martinez publicly agreed. But that he has since admitted to wanting to strengthen the squad in that position suggests he’s yet to be fully convinced by Barkley’s suitability, not least backed up by comments last week stating the player is more suited to a number 8 role.

It was, however, in central support to lone striker Romelu Lukaku that the homegrown youngster was asked to initially perform against Watford.

His first-half performance served only to underline Martinez’s misgivings, an ill disciplined outing littered with poor decision-making.

But Brendan Galloway’s substitution prompted Gareth Barry to move to left-back and allowed Barkley to drop deep alongside James McCarthy in a more conventional central midfield role.

He immediately prospered.

And it was coming from a deeper position that allowed Barkley the time and space to run on to Arouna Kone’s lay-off and smash a rising drive into the top corner to draw Everton level with Watford for the first time.

Barkley’s goal means he has already reached half his entire tally from last season, when his only strikes came in the home wins against Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle United.

The previous campaign, though, saw Barkley follow his goal at Carrow Road – the first of his Everton career – with six more.

“I was disappointed with my goal tally last year so to get my first goal in the first game is really good for my confidence,” says Barkley.

“That’s what creative midfielders and attacking midfielders have got to do so it’s good to get my first goal of the season.

“I’m working on (striking from distance) and I’m working on trying to get a few tap-ins as well, but that’s not the main thing.

“The main thing was to get the three points and we didn’t do that, so its disappointing.”

While the goals may have dried up, the rest of Barkley’s game has improved if the statistics are to be believed.

In the Premier League last season, in 29 appearances Barkley had a shot accuracy of 42%, with a pass accuracy of 88% with 33 chances created.

That was an improvement on the previous campaign, when his shot accuracy was 38%, his pass accuracy 85% and only 25 opportunities fashioned in five extra appearances. He also picked only one yellow card last season compared to five in 2013-14.

Yet the numbers can’t disguise the fact Barkley is still a player in search of a settled position.

The Blues went behind to Miguel Layun’s 13th-minute strike, but improved after the break with Barkley’s 76th-minute goal drawing Martinez’s men level.

However, it required a late equaliser from substitute Kone to salvage a point after more indifferent defending allowed Odion Ighalo to regain the lead for Watford.

“It was disappointing in the first half from our point of view but we knew that when we came in at half-time and the gaffer told us that we needed to put them under more pressure,” adds Barkley.

“We did that in the second half and it was a better performance from the lads.

“That’s what we need to do and kick on from here.

“Watford have just been promoted, they were really enthusiastic and put us under pressure but we put in a good effort to twice come back from a goal down. We showed some character but it’s disappointing not to get the three points.”